Grab your sketch pad and charcoal, brushes and paints. It's time to make your own masterpiece at the Plymouth Community Arts Council's (PCAC) Drawn to the Night.

The monthly open studio attracts professional, amateur and wannabe artists of all ages to practice drawing the human form from live clothed models.

"You can do anything you want. You can sketch, paint, use charcoal. That's the cool thing about it. You can try things out," said Faith Long, 12, a Plymouth Township resident and a regular at the event that she attends with her grandmother.

"I usually do pencil, mostly because I make lots of mistakes and I have to erase and do it over. It's good practice for going outside in nature. Because if you want to draw a butterfly from a real life perspective, you won't have an hour to draw it."

Faith said she has become "less uptight" about her art. The models change poses throughout the session, leaving little time for perfectionism.

"It doesn't have to be a masterpiece. It doesn't have to be perfect."

Faith, who also takes dance lessons, is eager to draw at this month's session because its theme is inspired by French impressionist painter Edgar Degas, who spent much of his career drawing ballet dancers. A ballerina from Synergy Dance in downtown Plymouth will serve as the model.

Drawn to the Night runs 7-9 p.m. Friday, May 29, at the PCAC, 774 N. Sheldon at Junction in Plymouth. Artists bring their own supplies and pay $10 at the door. Students pay $5. The PCAC serves complimentary refreshments.

Kirbi Fagan, illustrator, served as host during the program's first year. She created a theme for each session and a corresponding setting for the models. Christina Evans, artist and instructor takes over this year, starting with this month's gathering.

"We had 70s hippies, an apocalyptic scene. We had mermaids. We had cowboys," said Lisa Howard, PCAC director, recalling topics from last year. "We set up a little set behind the person. Sometimes it's simple and we've had some elaborate sets in the past."

Art inspiration

Evans decided to add a twist to the monthly theme. Each will be based on a famous artist's works.

"It's important to look at works of people who have done it and succeeded at it. And it also promotes art appreciation," said Evans, who is considering Monet, Renoir and Seurat for future themes. "I want to feel people out, too, and see what they are interested in."

As the night's emcee, she also will decide when models change position. Evans has both modeled and timed the poses at previous Drawn to the Night sessions.

"I've taken so many (figure drawing) classes, I know what the protocol is. I know what's interesting, what's dynamic," she said, referring to poses. "Generally what I like to do is start with a couple of 30-second warm-ups, just to get the hand moving. I'll do three-, four-, or five-minute poses and then divvy up the rest of the time between 15-minute and half-hour poses.

"I love the idea that once a month an artist can come and be free and do whatever work they want while looking at a model. Generally all the places I've taken it (figure drawing) has been with one medium. They'll say, graphite or charcoal. Or they only do acrylic. It's interesting when you have a mix of people all working on the same thing, that are working in different media and are next to each other. That makes it more dynamic."

Get in the zone

Evans said figure drawing helps artists understand perspective and envision the human form as a serious of basic shapes such as ovals and columns. The clothing on the model adds "a totally different" element to figure studies.

She suggests that first-time attendees with little art experience simply "try it and have fun." It's a bonus if their work succeeds. If not, "at least you tried," she said.

Howard likens the process of figure drawing or painting to knitting and embroidery in that "you get in the zone and don't think about anything else."

"It's really therapeutic," she said. "And it's a nice break from the usual thing people do on a Friday night."

Future dates will be announced on the PCAC Facebook page and at www.plymoutharts.com.